Christmas cake recipes please

[Hilary B]

No we don't either (nor mince pies; nor C Pudding) Bah! Humbug!!.

I used to make one when I had all the family coming round because they all liked it. I'd decorate it lovingly and, if I say so myself, quite prettily. Then no-one would eat it because "It was far too nice to cut!" Aargh!

Does anyone remember a recipe from a magazine (I think Woman's Weekly) that had a layer of marzipan through the middle? Once I'd given up decorating nicely so it got eaten, this seemed to be an all time favourite. Can't post because I've lost it.

We have a Chocolate Log. Yum.

Marzipan through the middle sounds like Simnel cake, traditional at Easter.

Royal icing on fresh Marzipan the yellow colour 'leaks' through, but with fondant icing, much easier.

'Shop' Marzipan was far from new when I used it on the Christmas cake I made at school in about 1966. These days, even if I did intend to make anything of the kind, I would use 'liquid glucose' as the base (in fact I sometimes do, on my own recipe cake, with no dried 'vinefruits', and a marzipan based on hazelnuts instead of almonds, I only like almonds WHOLE).

[smallblueplanet]

Was it for stollen basketcase? If so see post no.7 above for link, made some last year and it was very yummy indeed!

[basketcase]

I made a Xmas cake from scratch once ... cost about £10 in ingredients as I remember (and nobody eats it)

No we don't either (nor mince pies; nor C Pudding) Bah! Humbug!!.

I used to make one when I had all the family coming round because they all liked it. I'd decorate it lovingly and, if I say so myself, quite prettily. Then no-one would eat it because "It was far too nice to cut!" Aargh!

Does anyone remember a recipe from a magazine (I think Woman's Weekly) that had a layer of marzipan through the middle? Once I'd given up decorating nicely so it got eaten, this seemed to be an all time favourite. Can't post because I've lost it.

We have a Chocolate Log. Yum.

[jackie j]

When my boys were little they asked me why didnt I have a birthday cake, forgot to make one for myself and they were dissapointed so I got the christmas cake that was still sitting on the side ( my birthday being 5th January ) took off the christmas decorations and added a plastic happy birthday and candles and they loved it, we do it every year now.

[sweetiepea]

This is a fairly simple but delicious fruitcake, ideal for Christmas and for icing if you want to (marzipan optional!). It can be made in a round tin or a loaf tin, which might suit you better. The best part this cake is the Irish whiskey!!!

Cooley Whiskey Fruit Cake

Ingredients
200g / 8oz currants
400g/1lb sultanas
300g/12oz raisins
Grated zest and juice of 1 unwaxed lemon
Approx 200ml / ¼ pint Cooley Whiskey
50g/2oz glace cherries, washed and halved
50g/2oz mixed peel
200g/8oz butter or margarine (real butter gives a better flavour)
200g/8oz brown sugar
200g/8oz plain flour
75g/3oz chopped almonds
½ teaspoon grated nutmeg
1 ½ teaspoons mixed spice
5 eggs

Method
1.Soak currents, sultanas, raisins and the lemon zest and juice in half the whiskey, preferably overnight.
2.Sieve together the flour and spices.
3.Cream the butter and sugar until light and fluffy.
4.Beat the eggs, and then beat in 1/3 of the beaten egg to the creamed butter and sugar, along with 1 tablespoon of flour. Repeat this 3 times.
5.Fold in the remaining flour, cherries, almonds and soaked fruit.
6.Spoon into a lines 23cm (9inch) round cake tin (or 2 x 1lb loaf tins)
7.Cook at 140°C/275°F for approx 2 hours.
8.Cool in the tin for about ½ an hour. Turn out and prick the top of the cake with a skewer and gently pour in the remaining whiskey.
9.When cold, wrap the cake in greaseproof paper then foil.

Best kept for a few weeks to mature.

Of course it can be any Irish whiskey, but I recommend Cooley Whiskey because it’s made in my neck of the woods!

[bazzaboy]

I'm guessing that it might be this delia recipe - is this the one, bazzaboy?

Pretty much identical recipes, Hazel, good one, thanks - the listed ingredients are the same (and metric weights still demoted to brackets, Classic indeed). The instructions have been re-written but their intention remains largely the same: in 1978 oranges and lemons had “rind”, ovens had “warming drawers” to tame treacle, creaming butter and sugar is emphasised as the most important part of the whole process, and there’s even the odd joke: “If you are not going to ice the cake you can arrange some whole blanched almonds over the surface but do it lightly or else they disappear for ever into the cake!” (Well OK, attempt at a joke…) The 1978 cake is not costed as this more recent version is - difficult to do that in retrospect but bear in mind in 1978 petrol had risen to 78p a GALLON, a VHS video recorder was, crikey, fresh on the market at £800 (!), cinema ticket 65p, average price for a house £13,650, bank rate 12.5%... (Source: Credit Crunch Christmas 2008 - Step back to Christmas 1978 - SaveBorrowSpend.co.uk ). The biggest change of course is in cake decoration details, no suggestion in 1978 of any cheating with almond paste (though it is called “quick” almond paste and a glance at the recipe suggests you could probably easily make it in a day or two…) and of course in Royal Icing with raw egg-whites aplenty. But no matter, not only a “Classic” but pretty near infallible, wouldn’t be Christmas without it….

2Sheds and others – waste it? Oh dear, next time send it over here please, I try to live on it until about March (when hot cross buns take over life support…). Keeps/improves without too much faffing, great food value, it’s like having to hand a perpetual Kendal Mint Cake Survival Pack with Brandy and no St Bernard to worry about…

Going back to Janeyo’s original question about “making a long one…”, er, that’s going to be problematic in the oven for 4+ hours so howsabout making a 7” square version, feeding it the required brandy and then cutting into gift portions and decorating separately. I did something like that one year, turning chunks into icebergs (some earnest statement about global warming c/w almond paste polar bears…) – increased somewhat the icing-to-cake ratio but otherwise OK, kids thought it was kool….. You’re in good time to plan such excesses!

But don’t forget The Puddings, Janeyo, ideal gifts.... And my best tip… that lengthy steaming process they require (which, if you’re doing loads, will almost see condensation dripping off the ceiling…!) - use a slow cooker, problem solved. They improve markedly over a few months, no need for any devil's spawn but rather food for the gods.... Happy days, happy Christmas! b.

[bazzaboy]

And does it have to have marzipan? Tis the spawn of the devil I tell you!

Oh, I thought it was people who DISLIKED marzipan were deemed to have been spawned by the devil...? But maybe I've got that wrong? What's the origin of that one then? I tried Google but all I got was a chap espousing the merits of marzipan-covered-pork-scratchings (!) which even to a marzipan fan sounds the wrong side of devil worship... b.

[janeyo]

I love the tin can idea... not sure how long to cook for then though.

And does it have to have marzipan? Tis the spawn of the devil I tell you!

[Alison]

If you want marzipan on the cake, you need a week between 'stages' (bake, marzipan, ice, decorate).

Maybe that's the ideal but you can quite happily do it the next day - I do pretty much every year.

[Polly Fouracre]

If you want to make little, individual cakes save up tin cans in the size you want. Wash them thoroughly and put in a hot oven to sterilise.
Line as usual with greaseproof and put in your mixture to a bit more than halfway up the can. Iced and decorated they make lovely gifts for neighbours, elderly aunts etc.
Any rich fruit cake recipe will do.

[Hilary B]

I know a young mah who made the mincemeat Christmas cake from Delia's book. He was about 12 when he made it (can't possibly have been more than 15, as we had a fire about then and the book got burned). I don't eat fruit cake, but those who tried the mincemeat one loved it. VERY simple. Wish I still had the recipe.
I am told the cakes I occasionally make from the GoodHousekeeping book are good (like I said, I don't eat it). Got to do one after Christmas.
If you want marzipan on the cake, you need a week between 'stages' (bake, marzipan, ice, decorate). I once made a fruitcake in a loaf tin, and decorated it to look like a thatched cottage (thatch being made from marzipan).
I can bake, but I'm better at ideas for novelty decorations!

[Alison]

I always end up icing it about a week before Christmas as I never get around to it until then but you could do it earlier if you wanted. If I remember I use a knitting needle to put holes into the cake every couple of weeks and pour brandy / orange liquer into to it. Makes it especially moist and yummy but not in any way essential.

[janeyo]

I find Delia's a bit heavy but always make this one these days:

CAREFREE CHRISTMAS CAKE

INGREDIENTS:

250g sultanas
250g raisins
100g chopped dates
100g chopped apricots
100g quartered glace cherries
Juice and zest of 1 large orange
100ml apricot brandy or Grand Marnier
250g softened butter
250g dark muscovado sugar
4 beaten eggs
250g plain flour
1 tsp of ground mixed sweet spice, cinnamon and nutmeg
100g roasted hazelnuts, roughly chopped
1 tbsp black treacle

METHOD:

1. Place the sultans, raisins, dates, apricots, cherries, orange zest, juice and alcohol into a large saucepan and stir well. Bring to the boil; remove from the heat and leave to soak for 1 hour.
2. Place the butter and sugar into a large bowl and beat together until soft and creamy. Gradually add the eggs, beating well between each addition.
3. Add the flour, spices, hazelnuts, soaked fruit with all their juices and black treacle. Fold together.
4. Spoon the mixture into a lined 9” deep tin. Level the top. Tie a double layer of brown parchment paper or greaseproof paper around the outside of the cake tin. Bake at 150C, Gas 2 for 3 – 3 ¾ hours

Tis really nice and we eat it all up. Usually make it about mid Oct but it has been as late as mid Nov when I'm not so organised!

Thanks Alison. That sounds easy enough for me.
Can I ice this? How long after would I do that?

[Alison]

I find Delia's a bit heavy but always make this one these days:

CAREFREE CHRISTMAS CAKE

INGREDIENTS:

250g sultanas
250g raisins
100g chopped dates
100g chopped apricots
100g quartered glace cherries
Juice and zest of 1 large orange
100ml apricot brandy or Grand Marnier
250g softened butter
250g dark muscovado sugar
4 beaten eggs
250g plain flour
1 tsp of ground mixed sweet spice, cinnamon and nutmeg
100g roasted hazelnuts, roughly chopped
1 tbsp black treacle

METHOD:

1. Place the sultans, raisins, dates, apricots, cherries, orange zest, juice and alcohol into a large saucepan and stir well. Bring to the boil; remove from the heat and leave to soak for 1 hour.
2. Place the butter and sugar into a large bowl and beat together until soft and creamy. Gradually add the eggs, beating well between each addition.
3. Add the flour, spices, hazelnuts, soaked fruit with all their juices and black treacle. Fold together.
4. Spoon the mixture into a lined 9” deep tin. Level the top. Tie a double layer of brown parchment paper or greaseproof paper around the outside of the cake tin. Bake at 150C, Gas 2 for 3 – 3 ¾ hours

Tis really nice and we eat it all up. Usually make it about mid Oct but it has been as late as mid Nov when I'm not so organised!

[smallblueplanet]

...Might make my own this year but do an edible version that people actually enjoy.

Did you try making stollen last year? Would be popular with your new neighbours at least?